Arranged Marriage to the Thousand Year Vampire
by S. S. Wolfe
Summary: In an extreme AU, Anna Erreksen finds herself trapped in an ancient arranged marriage with Eric Northman created by the Erreksen and Northmann ancestors. Now, a man loyal to his father and a girl terrified find that human-vampire coexistence is easier tried than denied. There will be hell, but through hell comes loyalty, trust, and love. Rating could change to mature soon as well.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note number one: Now, this story is a complete AU if I've ever seen one. This is a True Blood_ _arranged marriage that came to me in a dream recently and poked at me to write. So! Try to stay with me here. If you have any questions, comment or send me a DM and I will be sure to get back to you and explain to the best of my abilities. This story is un-beta'd. I do not own True Blood nor any of its characters, just the characters that I create. Thank you for reading; enjoy!_

Anna was only seventeen years old. Two years prior, her mother had forced a move from Washington state and nothing had gone back to normal. Older brother Kendrick had fled the nest before the move, attending the renowned Harvard University for law. He was incredibly intelligent, that Kendrick. Even waiting five years to go back to school, he had picked up everything again like he had never left. One of the top in his class… and he had seemed to forget about home completely, save his constant text messaging his one and only sibling, Anna.

Now, Anna was a practical shut-in. She only left the house when she was attending school or escaping through the second-story window for a party within a mile away. Shreveport, Louisiana was her new city, with anything she wanted at her fingertips. At home, she was quiet, practicing her Swedish and journalist to keep her mind as far away from reality as possible. Her father had been fluent in Swedishw, wherever the poor bastard was now. She missed him so much… His strong arms that fought away every fear and doubt. James wasn't her biological father, but he was better than what she could've ever asked for. She wished that he would have taken her with him. Anna yearned to have him back, but he had been lucky enough to escape her mother's clutches with the suit on his back and a law degree like Kendrick. He… had stayed.

Anna was thinking about him again, praying that he would come to his senses and rescue her from her mother's snares. Deep down inside, she knew that her fairytale rescue was a farce. Her journals were littered with her hopes and dreams, James's return being at the top of the list for those two years. But there was a night that everything changed. And that night stretched into a week. And that week became a month… A dream that haunted her and left her with only a shadowed face with short, beautiful blond hair and fangs drawn. The vampire race had come out publicly about the time her mother packed and moved. Now, they were in a vampire hotspot, though she didn't worry at all. Reported human attacks were few and far between. And, her mother being the freak she was, had vampire friends in the area. Only a couple, but it was a good way to keep track of Anna. Regardless, what could the dream possibly mean?

Anna continued to ponder as she always did. Who was the mysterious man in her dream? What could the dream mean for her? For him? Did he even exist outside her dream, or was he just a fantasy she conjured to make dealing with her sometimes sleepless nights bearable? All of these things she pondered every single night, an there was never an answer to her questions. Not one single answer and it was starting to get sickening, because as of late, there was nothing she could do to make these dreams cease. And to add to her laundry list of things to ponder, her mother had been very secretive lately, hiding things from her like she was an ignorant child, but she noticed. Damn, did she see, but she couldn't figure out what her mother could possibly hide here. New boyfriend? She would get her answers shortly, but for now Anna was was in order, and she was bound and determined to remember more of the God-forsaken dream if it killed her.

Anna curled up on her bed and looked out the window to see a storm brewing. The moon was obscured and lightning flashed across the sky, followed by uproarious thunder that shook the house. Tonight, something was going to happen. Tonight... there would be answers.

 _Author's note: Yes, short beginning chapter, but I am hoping to have another one up and written soon. Hope y'all enjoyed! Rate, review, do whatever you'll do. Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

_The room was black as pitch. Nothing could be seen through the dark haze, though Anna tried her damnedest to see anything. This wasn't how this dream began. Maybe it was a different dream for once? Anna felt her heart start to beat a little faster now, the ominous feeling of being watched washing over her like a bucket of ice water. She would be lying if she said she wasn't terrified now. She looked around, spinning like a canine chasing its tail. There was something here. She wanted to run, but where could she go? There was nothing to be seen in the room she was in. She stood frozen in her stead. What could she do now?_

 _And then, a sense of serene calm came over her and held her like a soft blanket, throwing all that was left of the terror into the blackness as if it hadn't ever existed. She felt warm and calm, and her heart slowed down to a normal pace once more. The first feeling of terror occasionally appeared in every of these dreams, but the serenity was unusual, though not unwelcome. The room now echoed with approaching footsteps. Where she should have gone back into terror mode, her serenity only grew. Anna felt completely safe now, a feeling she had never felt even with James. The footsteps drew nearer and nearer to Anna, yet she stood completely still. This was okay; everything would be okay now._

 _"Sweetheart," came a baritone male voice. He wasn't too far now, but there was still nothing to fear. "Anna." Her name rolling off his tongue sounded too beautiful to be real. His lips seemed to caress the two syllables like they were the only thing that mattered to him._

 _An arm slipped around Anna's waist and held her, pulling her against his chest softly. But the moment she felt her back hit his muscular chest, she knew that there was an immense amount of power under the surface. His tender touch came from incredible discipline and control. Outside, the man presented as a kind, gentle soul, but beneath lay a might beast that was circling the self-control like a predator stalking prey. She should've been scared by now, but there was no hint of fear there at all. Just the same serenity as before._

 _His second arm followed his first and he held Anna completely. His hold was almost territorial, showing that Anna was his now. Nothing else would touch her so long as either lived._

 _She went to turn and the man's arms loosened enough for her to face him. Anna couldn't see, but the wild beast could see everything. Heightened senses made it possible, but human Anna was limited as far as extra abilities were concerned. She didn't need them. Everything was safe. The world could be ending, but this man was not about to let anything happen by any means. Who was this mysterious person?_

 _"What's your name?" Anna asked, her forehead against the rugged muscle of his chest. Her only response was a throaty chuckle that sent shivers down her spine with fury._

 _"In due time, my beautiful girl, you will know exactly who I am, just as I know who_ you _are." Anna felt his hand graze her neck tenderly and she leaned into it like it was a lifeline. What was this feeling in her chest? It was so warm, so beautiful... so new._

 _He caressed her neck with a feather-soft touch, eliciting goosebumps and a sigh of contentment. Then, he slowly pulled her head to his chest and held it there. There was a heartbeat inside that chest, strong as ever. Former dreams came back to her, where the beast she recognized was distinctly animalistic; the epitome of a vampire. But this was so different from any of those times._

 _"Show me your face again. You've haunted my dreams for over a month now; I barely remember what your face..." Anna stopped speaking when the hand from her neck moved to her cheek and held her. This was so odd. So completely out of character that it threw her for a loop. This man was supposed to be a vampire. He wasn't supposed to have a heart, let alone a heartbeat. He wasn't supposed to be this kind. He was supposed to be a predator, a killer. But here... no. He was almost human._

 _He moved his hand and said, "Look at me, Anna." Anna complied, looking up at the man. His face became clear in the hazy darkness and she was taken aback at just how beautiful he was. His hair was short and blond; eyes were a piercing crystal blue; his cheeks and jaw were well-defined. He was truly beautiful._

 _"This is my face," he whispered. He leaned forward and kissed Anna's forehead. "It's time to wake up, Anna. We will meet soon enough." He grabbed her hand and brought it to his chest. "Until then, you are in here... forever."_

 _And then..._

Anna woke up.

 _Author's note: I know that Eric was a bit OC in this chapter, but it was necessary. I hope y'all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Please rate and review!_


	3. Chapter 3

As Anna awoke from the dream, she began to store every detail she could in her memory. It was a fight to keep everything in her mind, but there was one thing that rang true in her ears.

"He grabbed her hand and brought it to his chest. 'Until then, you are in here... forever.' "

She could still feel her hand on the planes of his chest, right above his heart. He had been so beautiful, but who was he? And why would someone so beautiful want her? He was considerably older than her, that was for sure.

She looked out the window to see that the sun was still down, and the storm from before she fell asleep. She glanced at her clock and found that it was only two in the morning. Why was she up now? When she slept, it was usually through the night. What was different about this night?

She listened intently to everything around her, hearing only the sounds of the rain hitting the window panes with force. Other than that, the night was completely still, at least for the time being. But something in her gut was telling her to listen more closely. There was something strange going on in or near the house. She could sense it, and it was starting to make her hair bristle. She had only felt this in her dreams, never while awake. She tried to analyze anything and everything she could and still came up with absolutely nothing. Not one damn thing. Her frustration was starting to mount to too much now; the not knowing was killing her inside and she realized that she now had more questions than answers once again. But still, she listened as closely to her surroundings as she could. It was a minute or so of more frustration before she heard it. Her mother was on the phone speaking very quickly to someone and she sounded pissed off. It wasn't uncommon for her to get pissed at random things, but this was a different level now.

"It's your father." Her voice had a vicious bite to it, as if the word "father" left a bitter taste on her tongue.

"James?" Anna asked hopefully.

"No. Eskil." She tossed the phone onto the bed and left in haste, muttering about dead-beat assholes.

Anna stared at the phone in confusion. Eskil? Her biological father? What the hell would he want after all these years?

"Hello?" Anna answered, emotions frayed.

"Anna."

"It's been over ten years. What could you possibly want now?" She was slowing getting angrier and angrier.

"Anna, I can explain everything-"

"Explain this to me: why were you gone for so long? You didn't say a fucking word to anyone. You never visited. You fell off the God damned planet until now?! What the fuck do you want."

"Hear me out for a few minutes, and then you may do as you please, be it hang up or stay on the line."

Anna thought for a moment. Regardless of how long he had been absent, and how much she hated Eskil, the man was still her father. She swallowed her angered pride and went with it. "Fine.

"Thank you." He paused for a moment. "There is more to this story, but here is the Cliff-notes version: I was attacked thirteen years ago on my way home from the firm, one week after you turned four. I passed out and awoke some time later in a shallow grave next to a rather terrifying man. Victor... He has long since been gone, but he... he turned me into a beast. For the safety of you and your brother, I could not return. It was too dangerous; I had no control over my new-found ravenous appetite. I was no longer your father, but a beast clad in shadow and sheer blood lust because of the selfishness of my maker. However, as much as I tried to hate the man, I just couldn't. He was my maker, and the last lifeline I had to my humanity. He actually became my best friend. The irony is... he, too, was from our motherland. Beautiful Sweden, Baby Girl. And if you are willing to hear me out for just a few more minutes, you may wish to hear this next part. I know this is a lot to pour on you, but my Swedish superiors demand that I inform you of this."

Anna had already had too much to stomach. As if it was nothing to him, Eskil had just told her why he had been absent for nearly a decade and a half. And now the damned man wanted to pour more of his tainted soul onto her? If she wasn't so curious now, she would've hung up on the bastard. How dare he think his sob story could make up for the length of absence?! The nerve of this bastard! But something kept her holding on... she needed to know what he was going to say next as if it were the last thing she needed before she died.

"Go on, Eskil," she urged after a few moments of self-containment.

"Thank you, Baby Girl. Now, you must know that everything I say to you at this very moment is complete, undeniable truth that the remaining vampiric Swedish royalty can attest to. This concerns both you and another vampire in your area. It is the reason I influenced Sheri to move to Shreveport. Your time was approaching and I had the _Överlevande vagnen*_ were jumping down my damn throat-"

"For Christ's sake, Eskil, today!" Anna snarled, fed up with him candy-coating everything. "I'm not a child anymore. I can take it, okay?"

"Okay... In old Sweden, our originating bloodline was one that served and fought avidly with the now known as Northmann sect. They were terrible Vikings, yet loyal as trained dogs to their motherland. A thousand-plus years ago, Drasyak Northmann made a deal written in his own blood and the blood of his only child that his first son would wed the first daughter of the Erreksen tribe. There was never a healthy daughter born to the Erreksens... Every one died of disease or other ailments... until you were born. Our last name had become domesticated over the years, but you are the only blood-born Erreksen in a thousand years. And it didn't matter regardless."

Anna couldn't take this anymore. Her heart was racing, soul heavy with dread. This... was happening. She was screwed now.

"Everyone forgot completely about the bloodied contract because the only surviving ancestor of Northmann was a vampire. And, up until two years ago, we vampires remained hidden from the public. Well, now that we are more public about our existence, the _Överlevande vagnen_ are demanding that the last contract of Northmann be fulfilled. They want the last heir of Northmann, now known as Eric Northman, to come out in Sweden and surrounding countries as the longest-lasting royal blood alongside his predetermined bride."

Anna stopped breathing. She just... quit responding in general. She had been hit with a truckload of information in less than ten minutes and her head was swimming. She was... and Eric North-who? What the hell?! And then... how old was this guy anyway? Eskil said he was older... How much older?! Anna was

"What... what if we didn't go through with this?" she nearly begged.

"I tried to get the _Överlevande vagnen_ to reverse their decision, but it nearly cost me my life, and it would've put both Eric's and your life at risk. One of the _Överlevande vagnen_ 's leaders is part of the worldwide Vampire Authority, which have complete and total control over the entire vampire race. Disobedience is death or severe punishment in this world."

"So... I'm fucked." It was crass, but...

"Essentially, in a harsh term, yes. And Eric had already been informed by the Authority that this will be taking place. He has been given less than a week to introduce himself. Anna, you and Eric have no other choice as far as the near future is concerned. I'm sorry, Anastasia, but there is nothing I can do. I need to leave, but we will be in touch. Be expecting Eric to appear in one way or another to you soon, unless he already has. Good luck, my Baby Girl. I will see you very soon. Farewell." And the line went dead.

Anna began to hyperventilate. So much had just been spilled onto her and now there was a collar that bound Anna to an old vampire. Was he the vampire from the dream that wouldn't leave her alone for over a month now? Was _that_ Eric? And what could she do now?

 _Author's note:_ _Överlevande vagnen means surviving Royalty in Swedish. I apologize to anyone reading that knows Swedish, because I don't speak a lick of the language and I mean absolutely no offense to anyone if it is incorrect. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, because I loved writing it. Please rate and review. Thank y'all so much._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: I have to apologize to everyone reading/following/reviewing for not updating recently. My job has kept me pretty busy over the last couple weeks and any time I wasn't at work, I was catching up on some much-needed sleep or I was thinking about work again. And I apologize once more to those of you who review. I love reviews. I revel in them! I just have an awful time getting back to people about them._

Air. Anna needed air. The walls of her room began to close around her and it was becoming the most terrifying thing she had ever experienced in her short life.

Anna flew off the bed, falling in a crumpled heap on the floor. She cursed the blankets secured around her feet before kicking them off and rushing to the small balcony outside her window. The door was unlocked, something that should've set off alarms in her head, but she was too anxious to notice.

Once outside, she began to take deep breaths of the crisp air. It was uncharacteristically chilly, but it reminded her of Washington after a midnight rain. A tear streamed down her cheek; how long had that been there? She hadn't noticed the blur in her vision until now and she cursed her female emotions. When she didn't want to cry, she did. And when she did, she couldn't. The vicious cycle of the female emotional spectrum.

Her thoughts ran rampant, racing around the idea of being bound to an ancient vampire for the rest of her life... even the rest of _eternity_ if she had the misfortune of being turned. That happened, right? Vampires had to come from somewhere, and if not humans, than what?

 _Get a grip on yourself, you moron_ she chastised herself internally. She violently shook her head, trying to find some sort of hold to reality. _This was nothing!_ she began to assure herself. _I can beat this!_ And then it hit her again... what exactly was there to beat? At best, she was still trapped in the marriage. At worst, she was Eric's new blood bag or chew toy. And she would honestly take the former over the latter two any day. If she had her choice, she wouldn't do either...

She continued to take deep, calculated breaths. Her nerves were fried, and she recognized that as long as she allowed herself to freak out and complain, the less time she would have to come up with a plan. Going ballistic would help nobody.

Oh... Oh _no..._ What was Anna supposed to tell her mother?

" _Hi, mommy, I have to marry this really old vampire and if I don't, I'm gonna die! What's for dinner?"_

Anna shuttered at the thought. God, her mother was going to slaughter Eskil the moment he appeared. With any luck, the rat bastard would be rearing his ugly head soon to make sure that she went through with the marriage. He was the one who left, and yet over a decade later, he was still giving her orders and making decisions he should've had no part in whatsoever. She was starting to hate Eskil as much as her mother did. Maybe her mom wasn't quite as crazy as Anna made her out to be.

She walked back inside and closed the door, making sure to lock it and close the black curtain. A shower would do her good. She felt like death warmed over, and the Washington rain had always given her peace to think. Some of her best schemes and ideas came to her when she was in the rain. Maybe the shower would have a similar effect on her. Hopefully... And if it didn't, she would just have to take the cards fate had given her. She had even considered praying, and Anna was not a woman of faith by any means. She didn't oppose praying, just never saw the point in begging for some force she didn't even know existed. After all, why would an all-mighty deity care about her problems?

She walked to her bathroom and stripped down bare. She walked to the shower and turned it on a cooler setting. After a minute, Anna stepped under the cold water and had goosebumps immediately. It wasn't too cold, but it wasn't warm by any means.

She began to think. Maybe she could appeal to what was left of his human side. He was human at one point, right? There had to be some of that left... maybe?

Or... maybe appeal her unusual case to the council? She wasn't quite an adult yet. And laws were bound to be different by now. There had to be something that protected her now. But... what if that went south? It would either be a waste of time or she would end up dead and have body parts in forty-seven different countries.

At that thought, she turned the heat up on the shower and began to wash her body and hair absently. She wanted her mind to just go blank; she didn't want to think about anything anymore. It was too much of a toll on her mind.

She turned off the water and grabbed a towel, roughly drying off her body. Completely negating clothing, she walked out of the steamy room and turned off all of her lights. To bed... sleep was necessary, she decided, though she had already slept an unknown amount of hours only a couple hours prior. She was still exhausted. Anna quickly remade her bed and crawled under the covers. She closed her eyes and turned on her side, slowly falling asleep to the picture of mysterious blue-grey eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

_A sharp wind blew through Anna, the icy temperature sending a wave of gooseflesh around her. Snow fell from unseen cloud cover. Where had this awful weather come from?_

 _Wherever Anna was, everything was completely black. Everything besides the growing white blanket on the ground. It was surreal, the obsidian room contrasted by an angelic ivory cover. Anna recognized that this was indeed a dream, but never had it been so cold. In fact, she had begun shaking like a leaf. Washington winters were similar to this weather, but the chill felt otherworldly. It didn't touch her skin, it went directly into the bone, encasing the them in something of an ice sheet. Dark hair stood on end, Anna's skin tightening as she froze from the inside out. Pain erupted in her muscles. It felt like there were ice crystals tearing through each one with a vengeance._

 _Anna wanted to move, to run and scream and wake herself from the nightmare, but it seemed that the cold had frozen her as well. Her body remained as it was in a statuesque stance. She was paralyzed. She needed to move. She needed to breath. Anna needed to wake_ up _!_

 _She looked ahead of her, trying to find something other than the pain to focus on. And when she did, she saw the crystal blue pools from dreams past. Those eyes... they belonged to Eric. They were the color of the ice in her veins._

 _"Anna," came his voice through the blackness. The sound of her name rolling off his tongue broke through the frozen air, instantly ridding Anna's body of the bitter paralysis. The snow melted before her eyes and a silvery light cast over the boundless landscape. Behind Eric was the moon, full and larger than life. He commanded the air with his presence. The luminescence captured Eric's features and cast them in a pale glow. He was magnificent, almost a foreign creature to Earth._

 _Anna sought out her voice. She had so many questions and a limited time given her unpredictable sleep patterns. She needed to know absolutely one thing, however._

 _"Are you Eric?"_

 _A smile graced his features._

 _"I told you that soon you would know my name," he mused, now only a few feet from her. He was clad in a mesh shirt and black, glistening leather pants. His hands hung at his sides lazily, but the taught muscles shone in the silver moonlight._

 _"So you_ are _Eric..." Anxiety pooled in her stomach. She remembered dreams past where all she felt from Eric was pure power. She couldn't imagine the air he would carry outside of the dream world. Who was this man in reality? He was potentially visiting Anna in her dreams. He was considerably old, and with a vampire's aging came more and more unbridled power. That much, Anna did know._

 _"Indeed I am. And you are Anna, a very young human bound to me by technicalities and ancient circumstance. You should be absolutely terrified. So terrified, in fact, that one you wake, you will avoid looking out any window in your room. Trust me, Anna. But you need to wake up. Anna, wake up. Wake-"_

"-up!"

Anna sat straight up out of bed, staring into the dark of her room. She wanted to look outside, but something told her that doing so was a horrible idea. She couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what it was, having forgotten her dream entirely. From what she could see, though, the sun had not quite risen, meaning it was incredibly early yet.

"What the hell..." Anna gripped her head, searching her mind for answers. Today would be significant once the sun went down, that much she knew for certain. All she had to do was survive the day.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Hey there, guys. I've been sitting next to my muse for the last little while and decided that it was time to work on chapter six. So! Y'all can thank my beautiful Siberian Husky, Nick, for this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys!_

The day had gone relatively without incident for Anna. Her mother had left before she had woken up, a note under Anna's door stating that her girlfriends from work had decided to go into Baton Rouge and insisted that she join. Anna couldn't have cared less, really. Her mother knew full well that she was capable of caring for herself, if only for a day. And, somehow, the dreaded woman managed to keep a few friends on hand that kept an eye out for Anna. Yes, her mother was crazy and out of control as far as virtually everything was concerned, but the both still loved each other anyways. After all, blood was still blood and there was nothing that would take that away.

Anna walked around the house in short and a large t-shirt. She had no plans to venture out of the house, opting to eat something and crash on the couch for a little while. She had managed to remove most of the night's dream from her head, but something continued to poke at her in the back of her mind. And she ignored it as much as she could. After all, paranoia was just that. There was no evidence that today would be any different than the rest of the week or day or year. Nothing. And freaking out would do nothing but make her irrational fears worse.

Anna was spacing out while a crime drama played on the television. Her mind had gone mostly blank and she was enjoying the emptiness for the time being. A gunshot from the show snapped her out of her reverie. It was then she realized that it had begun to rain outside. It was supposed to storm for the next couple days, and now was the beginning of the mini-monsoon. Anna liked rain and storms, but her area had a history of flood damage, though her neighborhood sat on a high enough grounds to not have to worry too much. She watched the trees begin to sway with the progressing winds. It was picking up rapidly, and soon the house itself began to creak and whine at the force. Surely this wasn't the signs of a brewing tornado?

Anna shook her head. She was just overreacting as always and she knew it. But she still couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen... and soon. Adrenaline began to pool into her blood, heart racing suddenly. Now she was terrified. She had good instincts; it was something that Eskil had passed down that was actually useful. Her mother had worthless instincts, so much so that they were nearly laughable. She put faith into the wrong things and wasn't too trustful of those she could rely on, the few that actually cared anymore.

Anna curled into the couch, suddenly happy with the thick, dark curtains that hung about the house. She could see absolutely nothing, which meant that nothing could see her... right? She was a tense, high-strung ball on a single couch cushion shaking like a leaf. She felt like she was being watched now, but it was a foreign feeling.

It was the final straw when a howl sang through the winds. It was animalistic, no doubt in her mind. Almost like a wolf locating its pack. Surely there weren't such beasts such far south? After all, it was far too warm a climate for any wolf to be comfortable. Probably just a neighbor's dog...

And then, her heart slowed way down in an instant. The same feeling from her dream crept back into her like a warm blanket. All prior anxiety disappeared as quickly as it had come and she went from restless to tired. Pathetically worn out and limp... until there was a knock on the door that shook her to the core. This was it... Maybe Eskil wasn't the lying bastard Anna made him out to be... but at the moment she wished that she was wrong.

 _Author's note: Sorry this chapter is a little short, but I wanted to get straight onto chapter seven before I dozed off. Nick is still sitting by me chewing on his ice cubes and happy as can be. Such a good, fluffy muse._


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